This is a beautiful etching and drypoint by one of Scotland's finest printmakers, Sir Muirhead Bone (1876 - 1953).
Muirhead Bone was born in Partick, Glasgow, and trained as an architect. He attended evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art and was self-taught as an etcher. He was noted for his depictions of architectural subjects, city views, landscapes, and his work as a war artist in both the First and Second World Wars.
In 1901 he settled in London, where he quickly established an international reputation, selling prints for large sums. He produced nearly 500 prints and was knighted in 1937.
This drypoint of Constantinople was made in November of 1934 after a drawing he had done in 1929. It was not published until 1936. This drypoint features a panoramic view of Istanbul (formerly called Constantinople), Turkey. The view is seen across the Golden Horn waterway, the magnificent Süleymaniye Mosque dominates the skyline. It is one of the great sights of old Istanbul. The imperial mosque was originally built in the sixteenth century during the rule of Suleyman the Magnificent.
On the quay in the foreground, men repair sails (or nets), while others stand on the quay or on moored rowboats nearby. In the background, beyond the sailboats at left, is the Hagia Sophia, a former Greek Orthodox Basilica and then an imperial mosque. Today, the Hagia Sophia is a grand museum building exemplifying Byzantine architecture at its finest.
It is a very fine velvety impression with lots of rich drypoint burr. It is in excellent condition, and pencil signed, lower right. It is also signed in the plate, as photographed. It is a harder to find print by Bone - and this is reflected in my asking price. Another impression is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. There is another is the collection of the Victorian and Albert Museum in London.
It is nicely presented with a double window mount and framed ready to hang. The frame measures: 36 x 49.5 cm. The image size is 14.8 x 30 cm.
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